§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)rose to call the attention of Mr. Speaker to the incident which occurred yesterday, when the right hon. Gentleman the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs referred the hon. Gentleman the Member for Ecclesall for information to a speech of Lord Salisbury in the House of Lords. In answer to a question whether there was any precedent for an hon. Member of the House being referred for information to a speech made in the other House, Mr. Speaker said that he believed that a precedent 325 had occurred during the present Session. But as far back as two years ago, on August 19, 1895, he had protested against the establishment of a precedent of the kind. On that occasion he had asked the Under Secretary for War on whom the appointment of Commander-in Chief of the Army had been conferred, and the right hon. Gentleman had informed him that a statement on the subject would be made by the Secretary for War in the House of Lords. The Speaker had then said that the question of privilege did not arise, but the right hon. Gentleman the Under Secretary of State for War thought better of the matter, and gave the House of Commons the information which was intended to be given first, in the House of Lords. He wished to know from the Speaker whether the question raised a point of order or of privilege?
§ * MR. SPEAKERI do not think, as I said yesterday, and as I seem to have said in 1895, although I had forgotten it, that any question of order arises, nor do I think that a question of privilege arises, though it is no doubt the case that in the House of Commons information is more generally given directly to the House—["hear, hear!"]—and not by reference to the House of Lords. It is a somewhat unusual occurrence, but I do not think that any question of order or of privilege in the strict sense can arise.
§ MR. MACNEILLOh, yes.
§ * MR. SPEAKERIt not being a question of order or of privilege, I do not quite see what is the locus standi of the hon. Gentleman. [Laughter.]